Skiing Lessons
by OwlyGirl
Summary: Set in the modern world but with bending, Katara teaches Zuko to waterski. Zutara


**Title:** Skiing

**Rating: **K+

**Words: **826

**Summary:** Modern AU w/ bending. Katara teaches Zuko to ski.

**A/N: **This was written to blow off energy after my first ski attempt. Zuko does better than me, though. However, all the boat stuff is accurate.

Anyway, just some quickly written fun.

**Disclaimer: **None of this belongs to me, except the boat. Avatar belongs to Bryke, a conjoined force of awesome.

Dark brown hair flowing behind her, Katara ran down the boat dock. Her smile was huge as she watched her brother and father back the boat in. They were experts at this. In minutes the boat was headed towards the dock.

Beside her, Zuko scowled. "Why are we doing this again?" the young man grumbled. Water was not his favorite thing. Neither were Katara's brother and father.

"Because I asked you to. If you do this, you'll understand me better, and you want to understand me, right?" she chirped cheerily, but with a menacing undertone. Blue eyes bore into him. He merely nodded apprehensively.

From out on the boat, Katara's father Hakoda yelled to his daughter," Katara, want to help us out?" He was proud of his daughter's abilities, and wanted to show them off to everyone at the lake. Taking a deep breath, Katara made a smooth, flowing gesture with her arms, twisting towards the dock. A gentle wave formed, bringing the little blue ski boat with it, and then stopped exactly at the side of the dock. Onlookers gasped at this display of skill. Control like that was rare in waterbenders outside the poles.

Seemingly oblivious to the awe, Katara jumped lightly into the front of the boat, then turned to look at her boyfriend. He looked nervous, to say the least. Big ships he could handle, but this tiny speed demon seemed so flimsy. However, with a master waterbender… Looking at his girlfriend's expectant eyes, he carefully stepped in.

"Sis, remind me again why we're bringing Jerk-bender?" Sokka, her brother, asked sarcastically. His dislike of firebenders was well known, and worse, Zuko was dating his little sister.

Aggravated, Katara brought up a small wave and smacked her brother in the back of the head. Zuko looked on, bemused. Sensing a fight, Hakoda sat down and started the boat suddenly. Both siblings were knocked off balance. While Zuko caught Katara before she hit anything, Sokka wasn't so lucky, falling on a muddy towel.

Though the day started badly, it got better with time. Each of the water tribe members took their turn behind the boat, either on skis or a wakeboard. Zuko was actually impressed by Sokka's skill with the little board. As Hakoda and Sokka went, Katara tried to explain boat terms to Zuko. He didn't understand any of it really. Katara did amazing tricks when she combined her waterbending with skiing.

Finally, however, came the moment Zuko, heir to Azulon Corporations, banished son, had dreaded. This was the reason he was here with them.

Katara was going to teach him to ski.

By Agni, was he terrified! Who knew what was in that water, or how deep it was? Katara and family just swam around like fish, but he thought about what might be lurking underneath. Unfortunately, he'd promised her. Crossed his heart and hoped to die, like when they were little and innocent. He couldn't disappoint her, anyways. She'd pretend not to be, but she'd be hurt.

So it was with great apprehension that Zuko slid into the water, listening to advice on how to get up on the strange sticks he was willingly attaching to his feet. He just floated in his puffy lifejacket, noting that none of them had worn one, as they straightened out the ski rope. Then he felt the handle in his hands pull, and, looking up, saw Katara yelling at him.

"I'm ready," he lied.

Then his world went dark. Gasping, he came up for air with his nose filled with the nasty lake water. Only his pride was hurt. Katara's old father had made it look easy. Now he realized wasn't just going to try skiing, he was going to ski. Waving at the boat, he gestured he was ready again.

This time he was prepared, and remembered all the tips he'd been given. All of a sudden he was standing up! Grinning uncharacteristically, he looked excitedly at his girlfriend. The waterbender was standing in the back of the boat, cheering for him. As he whooped back, he got distracted by the way her little tiny blue bikini contrasted with her dark skin. Losing concentration, he went flying.

Hey, he had done it, and that was what mattered. Swimming back to the boat, he found that his well-toned muscled ached. Apparently it was harder work on the body then he thought. His arms complained when pulled himself back up on the little vessel.

Katara promptly hugged him. "You were great Zuko! I don't even know why you fell, you looked so balanced! Do you want to try again? Isn't it fun?" she talked excitedly, her arms still around him.

"I don't think it's my thing. Anyway, water's your element. Next, we go visit a volcano," he grinned impishly. Katara gulped, and then kissed him. In the background Sokka protested against Zuko taking his sister to a volcano.


End file.
